Selection of structures for preservation and approaches for presenting the past at a heritage site: Case study of "where the port of yokohama originated

Abstract

This paper summarizes an investigation of the selection of structures designated for preservation and plans for presenting the past at a heritage site. Heritage sites created in recent years have multiple purposes, and previous knowledge can be inappropriate in that the plan for a heritage site as a whole determines the selection of structures designated for preservation. In this study, each process associated with selection was analyzed. Zonohana Park, named after the old elephant trunk-like pier that is preserved on the Yokohama waterfront is used to illustrate the selection of structures designated for preservation. The park described as "where the port of Yokohama originated" was created through a port redevelopment project in the late 2000s, and therefore it is a representative waterfront heritage site. During the planning process, the park was given various new roles; for example, it was designated as a symbolic landscape with the ability to attract visitors. It was also described as an open space that could be used for events associated with several new public projects planned by the Yokohama City government, such as the 150th Anniversary of the Opening of the Port of Yokohama. Furthermore, the park was valorized not only historically but also aesthetically and economically. As a result three points on the selection of structures designated for preservation are specified below. First, valorization of the heritage site as a whole does not unilaterally determine the valorization of each structure. Second, regarding the selection of structures for preservation, historical valorization cannot have a stronger influence than aesthetic or economic valorization. Third, the influences regarding the selection, content, and basis for historical valorization of a structure designated for preservation can alter as a result of other valorization decisions. In addition, two conditions of structures intended for preservation at a heritage site created as part of an urban redevelopment are noted. One condition is that the structures should be valorized according to at least two of three criteria: historic: Aesthetic: And economic. The other is that the structures should not negatively affect the economic value of the urban redevelopment plan. As described above, aesthetic and economic valorization played a collective role in the urban redevelopment plan that shaped Zonohana Park: Additionally, historical valorization was carried out to avoid interfering with aesthetic and economic valorization. During the creation of the heritage site, plans to feature certain aspects of the past in the park were not rigid: Rather, they were used as malleable resources that could be shown and sifted out according to various criteria at any time. Such flexibility in the approach to presenting the past brings fluidity to the selection of structures designated for preservation.